Partners Corvias and Wayne State University have announced the two recipients of the 2019 Corvias Scholar Award, made possible by an endowment established by Corvias to help students overcome financial obstacles and accomplish their academic goals.
“At Corvias, we strive to give in ways that have long-term effects in order to positively impact our partnerships,” said Corvias founder John Picerne. “These scholarships are just one example of our core principle to generously give back to the communities where we live, work and serve.”
The 2019 Corvias Scholar Award recipients are Melissa Torres and Kaitlyn Pierce. Torres and Pierce were awarded the scholarships during a luncheon at Wayne State’s Tierney Alumni House on Oct. 9. Speakers at the event included Wayne State Provost Keith E. Whitfield and Michael De La Rosa, Corvias principal.
“As a result of the well-executed partnership between Wayne State University and Corvias, we can provide deserving students with support that will enable them to pursue their academic and professional goals,” said Tim Michael, associate vice president of student auxiliary services and chief housing officer. “We are delighted to present our two newest recipients with this award and opportunity.”
Torres is a sophomore, majoring in biomedical engineering, with a minor in Latin American studies. After completing her degree, she hopes to design prosthetics and make them affordable for low-income communities.
Pierce, who graduated from Frankenmuth High School and Great Lakes Bay Early College in 2019, is currently in Departmental Honors Chemistry and part of a synthesis research team as an undergraduate student. By the end of next spring, she will earn her bachelor’s in chemistry. Pierce’s goal is to research a cure for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease in her own laboratory.
The awards, presented each fall to two Wayne State University students, are made possible by the establishment of a $1 million endowment, for which Corvias has pledged to donate $500,000 over the course of 10 years to fund the scholarships. The remaining $500,000 is funded through annual installments generated by the 40-year housing partnership between Wayne State and Corvias. Over the course of the partnership, 80 students will be named Corvias scholars, and the endowment is expected to provide scholarships to students annually in perpetuity.
Established in 2018, the Corvias Scholar Award can be used for tuition, fees, and room and board in on-campus housing. Recipients must meet the following criteria:
- Enroll as a full-time student, reside in on-campus housing and demonstrate financial need.
- Achieve and maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA each year.
Freshmen who are awarded the scholarship will receive $12,500 and may renew the award for the same amount their sophomore year, if they continue to meet the above criteria.
Following the scholarship luncheon, Wayne State University and Corvias held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments, the school’s newest student housing development. More information on the event can be found here.
About Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering nearly 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 27,000 students. Wayne State University houses nearly 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students in living-learning communities right in the heart of Midtown Detroit. Learn more at housing.wayne.edu
About Corvias
As a privately-owned company headquartered in East Greenwich, RI, Corvias partners with higher education and government institutions nationwide to solve their most essential systemic problems and create long-term, sustainable value through our unique approach to partnership. Corvias pursues the kinds of partnerships that materially and sustainably improve the quality of life for the people who call our communities home, purposefully choosing to partner with organizations who share our values and whose mission is to serve as the foundational blocks, or pillars, of our nation. To learn more, please visit: www.corvias.com.